PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference -
TTTTTCO.882
2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Sir,
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Inclosure 1 in No. 30.
"Thalia," at Singapore, August 15, 1873. I BEG to inclose herewith the copy of a communication received from Commander
J. F. G. Grant of Her Majesty's ship "Midge," reporting that he had captured five piratical junks while cruizing in the Straits of Malacca.
The Secretary of the Admiralty.
I have, &c.
(Signed) H. B. WOOLLCOMBE,
Captain and Senior Office, Malacca Straits.
Inclosure 2 in No. 30.
C
Sir,
'Midge," August 7, 1873. AT 8:30 A.M. observed three suspicious junks at anchor on Batamon flat, near Pulo Jerajah, which were pointed out to me by Lazaroo, the pilot and interpreter, to be piratical vessels. Stood towards them and sent gig to board them; on her return the pilot informed me that they had no port clearance, also that they were well armed, and plenty of powder concealed on board. I examined three of them myself, and found that they had recently been in action, having shot holes in them apparently only a few days' old, and their muskets had only recently been fired, guns loaded, &c., and as I could not get any satisfactory explanation of their business, although I had Chinese on board to interpret, I deemed it proper to bring them to Penang for examination.
Two more junks were also detained by our boats endeavouring to get away, and some of the Chinese took to their sampans directly we stood towards them, but were sent back by our boats.
A report, amongst the crew of one of the junks detained, was to the effect that a general fight had taken place yesterday the 6th instant between thirty of them, and several men were killed.
Captain Woollcombe,
Sir,
I have, &c.
(Signed) JOHN F. G. GRANT, Commander.
Her Majesty's ship "Thalia," Straits Division.
No. 31.
The Earl of Kimberley to Governor Sir Andrew Clarke, K.C.M.G.
Downing Street, September 20, 1878.
I HAVE to direct your attention to a despatch from Sir Harry Ord, No. 189 of the 10th of July, inclosing a petition from the Chinese traders in the Straits Settlements representing the injury which is inflicted on their industry by the disorders which prevail in certain States of the Malay Peninsula.
I have also to refer you to a despatch, No. 189 of the 6th of November last,† from Sir Harry Ord, giving a general summary of the political condition of these States at that date.
It is an important part of the duties of the Governor of the Straits Settlements to conduct the relations between the British Government and the States of the Malay Peninsula which are not tributary to Siam.
The manner in which he is to conduct those relations you will find fully set forth in a despatch No. 59 of the 16th of April, 1868, addressed by the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos to Sir Harry Ord. From the inclosed Memorandum, drawn up in this Office, you will find that there exists with every one of these States, except Pahang, Treaty engagements contracted by the Representatives of the East India Company.
The anarchy which prevails and appears to be increasing in parts of the Peninsula, and the consequent injury to trade and British interests generally, render it necessary to consider seriously whether any steps can be taken to improve their condition.
You will perceive from the inclosed correspondence between this office and Mr. Seymour Clarke,‡ that Tanka Dia Oodin, Viceroy of Salangore, is sensible of the evils which exist in that country, and is desirous of obtaining assistance from Her Majesty's Government in order to remedy them, or, failing Her Majesty's Government, from some other European Power.
↑ No. 10.
• No. 24.
Nos. 22 and 23.
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Her Majesty's Government have, it need hardly be said, no desire to interfere in the internal affairs of the Malay States. But looking to the long and intimate connection between them and the British Government, as shown in the Treaties which have at various times been concluded with them, and to the well-being of the British Settlements themselves, Her Majesty's Government find it incumbent upon them to employ such influence as they possess with the native Princes to rescue, if possible, these fertile and productive countries from the ruin which must befall them, if the present disorders continue unchecked.
I have to request that you will carefully ascertain, as far as you are able, the actual condition of affairs in each State, and that you will report to me whether there are, in your opinion, any steps which can properly be taken by the Colonial Government to promote the restoration of peace and order, and to secure protection to trade and commerce with the native territories. I should wish you especially to consider whether it would be advisable to appoint a British officer to reside-in any of the States. Such an appointment could, of course, only be made with the full consent of the native Government, and the expenses connected with it would have to be defrayed by the Government of the Straits Settlements.
I have, &c. (Signed) KIMBERLEY.
Inclosure 1 in No. 31.
Memorandum respecting the Relations of the British Government with the Independent States of the Malayan Peninsula.
(Founded mainly on Reports and the Treaties in the volume called "Treaties, Engagements, and Sunnuds," and especially Colonel Cavenagh's Report of 1862, in conjunction with which it should be read.)
\
UNTIL the transfer of the Straits Settlements from the Indian to the Imperial Government, all political relations with the Chiefs of the neighbouring States in the Malayan Peninsula in which there was no resident Agent were conducted by the Governor of the Straits Settlements, as were also those in Sumatra, such as Langkat, Siak, &c., which, however, have practically lost their value by our subsequent concessions to the Dutch, as in the case of Acheen by the Sumatra Convention of 1871. In this respect he acted as the representative of the Governor-General of India, and subject to his approval and that of the Board of Directors, or Secretary of State for India, as the case might be. I find one instance (e.g.) in which the bombardment of Tringame in 1864 by order of the (Indian) Governor of the Straits was disapproved, both by the Government of India and the then Secretary of State for India.
When, however, the transfer of the control over the Straits from the India Office to the Colonial Office was decided on by the Imperial Government in 1867, the Governor of the Straits Settlements, on the occasion of certain negotiations with Quedah, was instructed that, as regards his relations with the Dutch Settlements in the neighbourhood, they would be identical with those which subsisted between Governors of British Colonies, such as British Guiana or the West African Settlements, and their civilized neighbours; but that, as regarded native powers the Governor of the Straits Settlements must necessarily possess a larger authority, the exercise of which, however, would of course be subject to the vigilant and effective control which Her Majesty's Government are bound to exercise. The Governor might not unfrequently be called on to act, absolutely on his own judgment, but it would generally be undesirable that he should enter into formal negotiations with native rulers, still less that he should conclude any agreement with them, except in pursuance of an object or policy considered and approved by Her Majesty's Government. The Governor was further informed that any such agreement should be strictly provisional, should be effected in his own name, and not in that of the Queen, and must clearly remain liable to be disallowed by Her Majesty until embodied in a formal Treaty by Her Majesty's authority.
Since the transfer the Governor has accordingly been the mouthpiece of the Imperial Government in dealing with the small independent rulers in the Peninsula, an exception being of course made in the case of kingdoms like Siam, in which the Foreign Office have an accredited agent, Consul, or otherwise.
In the case of Quedah, with whom the Governor of the Straits Settlements was in negotiation, a Treaty was finally concluded on the 6th of May, 1869, through the inter-